:-\when i was barrell racing my horse without spurs she seems to go faster and when i do wear spurs it seems like she is holding out on me with her speed. i think thats the exact oppisite of what spurs are for...

Lots of horses will slow down with spurs, they are a training tool only and not for speed. 

I was just thinking about this at my race yesterday.  My old barrel mare would go so fast w/out spurs that I never used them.  But Traveler is such a punk sometimes that I thought about using them on him, but I'm so big on him that I'd end up spurring him under his belly where the cinch is! LOL!  I dont like them very much, except maybe some bumper spurs. 

If i so much as kick on my horse he will slow down...all i do is kiss or smooch to him for speed. If i get caught up in the moment and kick, he slows down. The only time i will use spurs is when i am training little ones that are on the lazy side, and i give them a cue and they do not respond then i will use the spur just to reinforce the cue i just gave. When i ask them to move off my leg i want it NOW not next week. To encourage more run i will kiss or smooch to them and if they dont move, then i will spank. Like with my over and under or the end of my reins if they are split reins. But it only takes 1 or 2 spanks and they know i mean business, eventually you spank less, you can just go through the motion and they will pick up. When i say spank i dont mean hit or beat. As Clinton Anderson says....Kicking shortens the stride and spanking lenghtens the stride.

I have never spurred a horse so I would say nahhh

No I don't wear spurs

I don't wear spurs eaither.  Not even to train.  Mine just don't seem to need it.  If I have issues I just get my Woofle Ball Bat!!!!!

My horse tends to suck back when I wear spurs. I try not to but, if he is having one of those "non-responsive" type days I will put a pair on until he remembers to listen to my leg.

Bumper spurs seem to work best when they are having a bad day.  They don't seem to bother them as much.  I had an old Duck Dance gelding that would almost stop if you tried to use spurs on him, he would set back against the spurs. 

ahh yeah. the bumper spurs are good. i only have a pair of the short little english ones...i couldn't imagine how wound up my horse would get if i wore anything else!

I don't wear spurs and quite frankly i'm not sure I want to know what my horse would do if i wore them!!

I agree with all of you. Wearing spurs knocks the wind out of them because they're meant to be rolled not bumped that's why your horse slows down. I've broke plenty of horses and none with spurs.